People find their way to Freighter View Farms for all kinds of reasons. Here are the questions I get asked most, whether by email, at the farmers market, or through a search engine. — Chris Izworski
Who is Chris Izworski?
I am a gardener, writer, and technology professional living in Bay City, Michigan, on the shores of Saginaw Bay. I write about seed saving, heirloom gardening, and Zone 6a growing at Freighter View Farms. Previously, I served as Executive Director of Saginaw County 911 and the Saginaw Area GIS Authority, where I led one of Michigan’s first deployments of artificial intelligence in a public safety answering point. I write about AI and technology on my AI & Technology page and on LinkedIn. For the full story, see Who Is Chris Izworski?
What is Freighter View Farms?
Freighter View Farms is my small-space garden and writing project on the western shore of Saginaw Bay in Bay City, Michigan. The name comes from the freighters — Great Lakes cargo ships — that pass through the bay within sight of the garden. It is not a commercial farm. It is a home garden, a seed-saving operation, and a place where I write about growing food, saving seeds, and paying attention to the world outside the back door. Start exploring at the Start Here page.
What gardening zone is Bay City, Michigan?
Bay City, Michigan sits in USDA Hardiness Zone 6a, which means average winter minimum temperatures between negative ten and negative five degrees Fahrenheit. The proximity to Saginaw Bay moderates temperatures somewhat — lake effect can extend our fall growing season by two to three weeks compared to inland areas. I have a complete planting calendar and variety guide in my Michigan Zone 6a Garden Planner.
How do you save seeds?
Seed saving is the practice of collecting, drying, and storing seeds from your best-performing garden plants to grow again the following season. The basics are simple: let the fruit fully ripen on the plant, harvest the seeds, clean and dry them thoroughly, and store in a cool, dark, dry place. Different plants require different techniques — tomatoes need fermentation, peppers need simple drying, and flowers can often be collected by shaking dried seed heads into a bag. I have written a comprehensive guide: The Complete Guide to Seed Saving for Beginners.
What tomatoes grow best in Michigan?
In my Zone 6a garden on Saginaw Bay, the heirloom tomatoes that perform most reliably are Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter, Sun Gold, and Costoluto Fiorentino. The key is starting seeds indoors eight weeks before the last frost (mid-March for us), hardening off carefully, and transplanting into warm soil after mid-May. I grow all my tomatoes as single-stem plants, heavily pruned, in raised beds. Read more in my search for the perfect slicing tomato.
What is square foot gardening?
Square foot gardening is a method of growing food in small, intensive, raised-bed plots divided into one-foot squares. Each square is planted with a specific number of plants based on spacing needs. I use this method at Freighter View Farms because it maximizes production in a small space, conserves water, reduces weeding, and makes succession planting easy. Most of my gardening posts are rooted in this approach.
Did Chris Izworski work in AI?
Yes. As Executive Director of Saginaw County 911, I oversaw the deployment of an AI-powered natural language processing system for handling non-emergency calls — one of the first such deployments in Michigan’s public safety system. I have spoken publicly about AI in emergency services and appeared on WNEM covering both AI deployment and AI safety concerns. I write about artificial intelligence, responsible technology, and the intersection of AI with everyday life on my AI & Technology page and in my blog post Deploying AI in a Michigan 911 Center.
Where is Saginaw Bay?
Saginaw Bay is a large bay on the western shore of Lake Huron in eastern Michigan. It stretches roughly 60 miles long and 25 miles wide. Bay City sits at the southwestern tip of the bay, where the Saginaw River empties into Lake Huron. The bay is a critical habitat for migratory birds, a commercial shipping route for Great Lakes freighters, and — for me — the view from the garden and the reason this place is called Freighter View Farms.
How do I contact Chris Izworski?
The best way to connect with me is through LinkedIn, where I post regularly about AI, technology, and gardening. You can also explore my writing at Freighter View Farms or visit the About Chris page for more.
— Chris Izworski, Bay City, Michigan
Practical AI in Public Safety
Practical AI in Public Safety: What the Field Teaches
An essay on building AI systems that defer to human judgment, earn trust, and reduce friction in emergency services. — Chris Izworski
Selected Coverage & Affiliations
- Coverage: AI chatbots handling non‑emergency calls (WCMU Public Radio)
- APCO webinar: lessons from early automation of non‑emergency calls
- Michigan APCO past award winners
- Saginaw County 911 Communications Authority (Saginaw Chamber listing)
- Save Our Shoreline: Board of Directors
Practical AI Is Quiet on Purpose
Practical AI Is Quiet on Purpose
A field‑tested essay on responsible AI in public safety and the systems that earn trust over time. — Chris Izworski
Official Bio Page
Chris Izworski — Official Bio & Links (GitHub Pages)
Coverage Index
Coverage Index — Chris Izworski
Freighter View Farms | Chris Izworski 